Family Day Challenge - Bringing Families Together!

December 22, 2013 – Written by Jessica Lahrs

Life became chaotic... quickly!

In less than a year, my husband and I bought a house, had a baby, he changed careers and required school and I started a business. Yep, life was busy!

That started two and a half years ago and life hasn’t slowed down. I’m struggling - searching for ways to simplify my life and connect in meaningful ways with my daughter, husband, extended family and friends. And, I don’t think I’m alone.

I want to start a garden with my daughter, hand-write letters to my mom and sisters-in-law, have a relaxing coffee with a friend, bike with my husband and turn off technology every now and then. But there just isn’t the time. (or, is there?)

Life is demanding, society is fast-paced and technology makes true peace a rarity. Few people set out to be detached from their loved ones but it happens. We get overwhelmed, our priorities mixed up so much that we forget what is most important.

Over the holidays, we were trying to get a Christmas tree. For years we have loved getting our tree from a local tree farm but they were closed on the one day that my husband was off work. My husband said that we should get our tree without him. At first it sounded like a good idea and then I took a minute to think about our Christmas tree tradition.

What was more important, getting our tree from our tree farmer or getting a tree as a family? In hindsight, the answer is obvious but in the rushed decision-making moment, choices are made and without realization, families begin to disengage.

In the end, we went to another tree farm closer to our house so we could go as a family. Turned out it was closed. So, we drove all the way to our regular tree farm while debating whether we had the time and the size of the tree (I always want a huge tree – my husband argues that we should get one that fits in our house!) By the time we got there, it had closed 10 minutes earlier. But, our tree farmer let us in and we finally got our tree!

If my daughter and I had gotten our tree without my husband, we would have missed out on our family adventure of tracking down a Christmas tree. Encouraging these special family moments is why Jeff Hoffart (Ed-ucation Publishing) and I created the Family Day Challenge. We want to bring families together one challenge at a time!

I offer Personalized Books, Toys, Puzzles and other fun gifts at Story is Yours, but I am recommending a different gift that has nothing to do with what I sell. Our Family Day Challenge will provide opportunities to build stronger relationships in your family, your community, and the world and a Family Ticket is the perfect gift!

On February 10, 2014 (BC Family Day), you are invited to attend a fun event where you will commit to ten challenges with your family. You get to take home a Personalized Hard-Cover Action Plan Book along with gifts from our generous sponsors.

A ticket for your entire family is only $25 and with proceeds being donated to the Bridge Youth and Family Services, it’s a win-win for everyone! If you are not in the Kelowna area, you can take the online challenge after the event. For those in this area, commit to making meaningful connections with your family and get your ticket here: Get Tickets / More Info. (limited availability)